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OK, the article doesn't say that exactly, but the alliteration was worth it. 
Thomas has some good things to say about Pinkston and especially his footwork, which I thought was his biggest weakness last year. OL is all about leverage, and leverage is all about footwork and your hands, can't do one well without the other. Here's hoping he does make more progress with the full offseason and 16 games under his belt. 
Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston aiming to take next step in his career
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
BEREA: A year ago, the Browns threw Jason Pinkston to the wolves after Eric Steinbach suffered a season-ending back injury during training camp.
At the time, Pinkston was a rookie who didn’t have the benefit of a normal offseason because the NFL lockout wiped it out. He also was in the process of converting to guard after playing tackle during his entire career at the University of Pittsburgh.
Pinkston, a fifth-round draft pick in 2011, started all 16 games at left guard last season and took some lumps along the way. But now with a year of experience and an offseason packed with grueling training under his belt, the Browns view him as one of their most promising young players.
“Last year was a learning experience,” Pinkston said. “Now I know what to do. It’s time to grow and build off it. I’ve come pretty far from switching from tackle to guard. The bar is high. The coaches are holding me accountable. I’m holding myself accountable.”
In March, the Browns cut Steinbach, who recently signed with the Miami Dolphins, and they’re counting on Pinkston to lock down the left side of the offensive line alongside Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas for the foreseeable future.
“I think he’s gonna be one of the top guards in the league,” Thomas said. “He’s made a big jump already from where he was last year, and he’s gonna be a great player on this line for a lot of years.”
Thomas said Pinkston’s technique is noticeably better than it was in his first professional season.
“His footwork has improved greatly,” Thomas said. “He’s always been a big, strong kid, but he didn’t have the guard footwork right away because he played tackle his whole career. Asking somebody to move from tackle to guard, it’s totally different. He looks like a guard now ’cause he’s very athletic for being a big guy. He can move his feet, and he’s finally figured out that where your feet go and how your feet work is gonna determine where your hands go, and that’s [a deciding factor in whether] you’re gonna block the guy or not.”
The 6-foot-4, 318-pound Pinkston spent much of the offseason training about five times a week at LeCharles Bentley’s O-Line Academy in Avon. Pinkston said the intense workouts with Bentley, a Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the New Orleans Saints whose NFL career ended after he suffered a knee injury and a staph infection as a member of the Browns, helped him improve his strength, quickness and technique.
“I was pushing cars, flipping tires, pulling cars, bear crawling with a truck,” Pinkston said. “It was a lot of hard work.
“They actually are the hardest workouts I’ve been through. There were some pretty hard ones in college with [Pitt strength and conditioning coach] Buddy Morris, but this is more just offensive-line specific, so it’s been great.”
The training has already paid off.
After the Browns held their first practice of the year in pads last week, coach Pat Shurmur praised Pinkston for his performance. He and Thomas repeatedly cleared holes for rookie running back Trent Richardson, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, to zoom through en route to long gains.
“Absolutely you love to run block,” Pinkston said. “There’s no better feeling than moving someone out of a hole and seeing a back come flying past for a gain of 5 or 6 yards or 10 yards or scoring a touchdown. When you see a running back score a touchdown, it feels like you scored a touchdown.”
Thomas believes he and Pinkston will create quite a formidable tandem.
“I think we’re really developing a good camaraderie and a chemistry over there,” Thomas said. “I think we’re gonna be pretty solid in the run game. … Having a nice, physical running back behind us, I think it’s gonna be big time for us.”
Of course, a key reason for such optimism is Pinkston’s baptism by fire last year and his progress since.
Said Pinkston: “Now that I’ve got the experience and I’m not hearing the plays for the first time, it’s time for me to take the next step in my career.”
The Browns were off Sunday but are scheduled to practice from 2 to 4:30 p.m. today.
 pinky
Statistics are like a bikini; what they show is interesting, but what they hide is vital.
Drive for show (1st round), Putt for dough (rest of draft).
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I think that our OL will be absolutely beasting by the middle of this season.
It is actually kinda lucky that Pinkston got thrown into the fire last year. He then saw what he needed to work on, and came into this year's camp ready to take that next big step up.
I also heard Shurmur comment on how Lauvao reshaped his body this off-season. (which seems to be a theme with many of the younger players)
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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If you think about it the biggest jump in a player is generally from the first to second year, as it it the first time they have time to commit 100 percent to being a football player. Prior to this, they have been in the role of student-athlete with educational responsibilities (and NCAA limitations) as well.
An off season of strength training and refining the craft can be a big difference.
There will be no playoffs. Can’t play with who we have out there and compounding it with garbage playcalling and worse execution. We don’t have good skill players on offense period. Browns 20 - Bears 17.
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That's part of the reason why I'm so excited about this year.
Guys like Hardesty and Jackson returning from injury and looking strong, powerful, and fast. Other guys like Pinkston, Lauvao, Little, and Cameron all reportedly really stepping up from last year, and a bunch of really promising rookies who seem to understand already what it takes to succeed, and seem willing to do these things.
Man I can't wait for the season to start.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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I am looking forward to Fridays first exhibition game.
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I think that this OL has a chance to be one of the best for years to come ... Add to that some new playmakers and we might surprise some pretty good teams this season.
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jc
We'll see...................
It's a nice "feel good" article but somehow I don't think one off-season will cure our delimna at both G spots. One or the other? Maybe....
Both? I gotta see that first. I'm so used to the local media filling us with BS, then when we see the product on the field, it's like night and day. So I don't plan to buy into it again.
I know what I saw last year out of both G positions. Unless there's some miracle cure, they can't both look SO much better.
JMHO
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
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This just gets me thinking.... If we waited to get weeden until the 2nd round and got Decastro at 22.
Just thnk of our o line for next 5 years. Thomas-pinkston-Mack-decastro-lavao/rookie tackle/FA
That would of been 4 incredible pieces in place.
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Many people made excuses for the horrible QB play last year,then would turn around be critical of the oline play.In all honesty the same problems the QB had,were the same problems the young guys on the line had.
The difference was the guard play greatly improved over the coarse of the season.Swartz will have a learning curve,but it won't be as severe as what the whole line went thru last year.I expect good play from the entire unit.
Indecision may,or maynot,be my problem
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Quote:
This just gets me thinking.... If we waited to get weeden until the 2nd round and got Decastro at 22.
Just thnk of our o line for next 5 years. Thomas-pinkston-Mack-decastro-lavao/rookie tackle/FA
That would of been 4 incredible pieces in place.
Decastro is a Guard (and he should. Be an all pro OG) ... We needed an OT more so. If we would have taken him with pick 22, then we wouldn't have Schwartz. I think we will be fine at OG.
Some only see what they want to see.
What I saw was two better then average athletically speaking OG's, who struggled trying to learn a new offense and position, but I saw progression there last year from both.
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Clever alliteration esp "positional"!
In Camp it looked like RT Schwartz (the rookie) is going to be the weakest link in that line, but as a right side group they will still be better than last years right side-and the only reason i say weakest is that he seemed to be still slightly adjusting to the speed and complexity of the pro game. I think he will be very good in his 2nd year. We are headed in the right direction!
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Quote:
Clever alliteration esp "positional"!
In Camp it looked like RT Schwartz (the rookie) is going to be the weakest link in that line, but as a right side group they will still be better than last years right side-and the only reason i say weakest is that he seemed to be still slightly adjusting to the speed and complexity of the pro game. I think he will be very good in his 2nd year. We are headed in the right direction!
I don't know that Schwartz will be the weakest link ... Certainly the greenest one. He has the potential to be a very good RT.
It's early and he still has time yet to adjust to the speed of the game and learn the offense and protections.
His is a pretty good test in practicing against Sheard and Parker, we should have a pretty good idea what to expect when the real bullets fly from a Coaching standpoint.
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Quote:
Decastro is a Guard (and he should. Be an all pro OG) ... We needed an OT more so. If we would have taken him with pick 22, then we wouldn't have Schwartz. I think we will be fine at OG.
I'm not so sure about "being fine at G", but RT was a much bigger need on the OL. So were most every position they drafted IMO.
Quote:
Some only see what they want to see.
What I saw was two better then average athletically speaking OG's, who struggled trying to learn a new offense and position, but I saw progression there last year from both.
I saw some progress but still wonder what their ceilings are. Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.
But often time I think people turn their hopes, into their beliefs. Both of these players need to progress a lot more. And none of us know what their cielings will be. So the jury is still out on these two.
I just want to see more evidence before I'm willing to say we are set at the G position....
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
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Quote:
Quote:
Clever alliteration esp "positional"!
In Camp it looked like RT Schwartz (the rookie) is going to be the weakest link in that line, but as a right side group they will still be better than last years right side-and the only reason i say weakest is that he seemed to be still slightly adjusting to the speed and complexity of the pro game. I think he will be very good in his 2nd year. We are headed in the right direction!
I don't know that Schwartz will be the weakest link ... Certainly the greenest one. He has the potential to be a very good RT.
It's early and he still has time yet to adjust to the speed of the game and learn the offense and protections.
His is a pretty good test in practicing against Sheard and Parker, we should have a pretty good idea what to expect when the real bullets fly from a Coaching standpoint.
Fla i meant the weakest link RIGHT NOW
I also think he is going to be excellent in the long run.
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Clever alliteration esp "positional"!
In Camp it looked like RT Schwartz (the rookie) is going to be the weakest link in that line, but as a right side group they will still be better than last years right side-and the only reason i say weakest is that he seemed to be still slightly adjusting to the speed and complexity of the pro game. I think he will be very good in his 2nd year. We are headed in the right direction!
I don't know that Schwartz will be the weakest link ... Certainly the greenest one. He has the potential to be a very good RT.
It's early and he still has time yet to adjust to the speed of the game and learn the offense and protections.
His is a pretty good test in practicing against Sheard and Parker, we should have a pretty good idea what to expect when the real bullets fly from a Coaching standpoint.
Fla i meant the weakest link RIGHT NOW
I also think he is going to be excellent in the long run.
Still I think that even with his inexperience it will be an improvement this year over the past 5 or so years.
Rookies have to play right away in many case today, but they are still rookies. 
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Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Pinkston poised for positive
positional progress
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